Families welcome Marines, sailors home

Published: Monday, December 17, 2012 at 11:12 AM.

Cpl. Jacob Stroufe was looking forward to having some space.

“It’ll be nice … to spread out and to be able to relax,” said Stroufe, with Combat Logistics Battalion 24 and part of the first waves of Marines returning home Sunday from a nearly 9-month deployment aboard the 24 Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Stroufe, whose mom, dad and sister were waiting with open arms at Camp Lejeune, said being home was great. Being home in time for the holidays, was “awesome.”

“It feels awesome to be back,” he said. “I’m glad I’ll be able to be with my family for Christmas.”

About 1,200 Marines offloaded at the Morehead City Port at 1 p.m. Sunday and then headed to Camp Lejeune where family and friends waited to welcome them home.

The MEU completed an extended expeditionary crisis response force with the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, which included Marines and sailors aboard the USS Iwo Jima, USS Gunston Hall, and the USS New York – its first operational deployment.

“It will be nice to be home in time to celebrate the holidays with our family and friends,” said Lt. Col. Aaron Adams, Executive Officer of the 24th MEU.

“It’ll be nice … to spread out and to be able to relax,” said Stroufe, with Combat Logistics Battalion 24 and part of the first waves of Marines returning home Sunday from a nearly 9-month deployment aboard the 24 Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Stroufe, whose mom, dad and sister were waiting with open arms at Camp Lejeune, said being home was great. Being home in time for the holidays, was “awesome.”

“It feels awesome to be back,” he said. “I’m glad I’ll be able to be with my family for Christmas.”

About 1,200 Marines offloaded at the Morehead City Port at 1 p.m. Sunday and then headed to Camp Lejeune where family and friends waited to welcome them home.

The MEU completed an extended expeditionary crisis response force with the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, which included Marines and sailors aboard the USS Iwo Jima, USS Gunston Hall, and the USS New York – its first operational deployment.

“It will be nice to be home in time to celebrate the holidays with our family and friends,” said Lt. Col. Aaron Adams, Executive Officer of the 24th MEU.

Serving throughout the U.S. European, Central, and Africa Commands, the MEU participated in a number of exercises and security cooperation engagements. The Navy-Marine Corps team served as a ready crisis response force capable of missions such as embassy reinforcement, evacuation operations, disaster relief, humanitarian assistance and full-scale combat, as well as Exercise Africa Lion 12 in Morocco, the largest bilateral training exercise in the U.S. Africa Command, and Exercise Eager Lion 12 in Jordan, the largest multi-lateral training exercise in the U.S. Central Command, according information from the MEU.

Originally scheduled to return in November, the MEI extended its time at sea while serving in the 6th Fleet area, where it remained on alert in the eastern Mediterranean.

“We kind of knew that there would be a possibility of an extension,” Sgt. Christopher Day, with the MEU’s Charlie Company. “But we’re Marines. We knew that we had job to do.”

Day said that in spite of the unknown return date, he and his fellow Marines and sailors focused on the mission and the tasks at hand.

Day’s new focus was getting to the next stop at Camp Lejeune, where his wife Angela, and daughters, Allie, 7, and Adison, 6, were waiting for his return.

“They miss their daddy,” Day said of his daughters, who sent him several care packages during the deployment. “It’s absolutely amazing to be back after such a long deployment.”

Amazing, but not easy.

“It was tough,” said HM2 Matthew Chesney, with Combat Logistics Battalion 24, who said he was glad to be home and was ready to reunite with his wife, Rebecca, and son, Braxton.

“Everyone kind of came together and we got past it. It’s just a great feeling to finally be back. I’m ready to celebrate Christmas with my family, relax a little, and get back to life in general.”

With only 12 days until their wedding Jessica Emmart anxiously awaited the arrival of her groom aboard Camp Lejeune early Sunday evening.

“We only found out about a week ago that he’d be back today,” said Emmart of her future husband Lance Cpl. Jonathon Shircliffe of 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment. “I planned the entire wedding myself. Now all I need is him.”

As Marines and sailors, bused to the base from off loading at the Morehead City Port, began to trickle in at around 6 p.m., Emmart’s wait was over.

Shircliffe shot through the crowd, lifted her up into the air and said “she’s going to marry me!”

He hugged and kissed his soon-to-be wife. “I’m glad to be home and I’m ready to get married.”